ANTI-SPAM
CURRENT AVERAGE SPAM FILTRATION LEVEL - 6 (1/1/08)
PROBLEM - SOLUTIONS

GMS Hosting is dedicated to helping our members solve problems. Some issues need constant evaluation and analysis. SPAM is one of those issues.

Anti-Spam is complementary for 1 user per GMS Hosting. Any additional users are $3 per month per user. EMAIL US if you have any questions.
DEFINITION
SPAM: Unsolicited, Unwanted email sent from one source to multiple sources with the usual intention of selling you something you don't want or need.
FACT: Over 10,000 Spam Emails are filtered every day on our servers.

PROTECT YOURSELF FIRST!

Note: GMS Can only stem the tide of spam. Every user needs to protect their own
machine. It is probably a good idea to own a strong anti-spam software
for yourself. There are many programs available.

We use "Spam I Hilator". You can download it for FREE at:
www.spamihilator.com

We do not technically support this program, but it is easy to install and
we have had good success with it. It learns as you train it and it is FREE!
5 GMS STRATEGIES
STRATEGY #1 - COMMUNICATION
30 - 35 Spam emails per day is considered normal. Anything over 50 you should let us know about. Anything less than 10 and your filtration may be too tight and you could be missing vital emails. So, a balance is important.

GMS Hosting controls spam through software. Our software is quite advanced and uses almost 250 tests on every email that comes through our server to test its validity. Once the test is complete the email is given a score. That score can range from 0 to 20 or so. This all happens in about 1/100th of a second per email.

About 50 to 75 of these tests are "static" and never change. About 200 of them are "dynamic" and change as databases are updated and Spammers change their tactics. Some of these changes change the scoring methods as well. When this happens, spam can increase or decrease in YOUR inbox. This is why communication is so important.

GMS has no way of knowing whether or not your spam is increasing or decreasing so your feedback is very important. Since Spammers are constantly changing their tactics, we have to be able to be flexible as well. There is no 1-time fix. So the first strategy is to communicate with us when spam jumps.
STRATEGY #2 - WHITE & BLACK LISTS

The tighter you make your filtration, the greater the chance of blocking a necessary email account. The looser you make your filtration, the greater the chance of recieving unwanted emails. So the battle rages on.

However, there is a way to make 100% sure that email you want gets through and the ones you don't won't get through. This is through white and black lists.

Every email from givemeservice.com will always get through to those on our server because we have placed ourselves on the "WHITE LIST" for every account. We simply place "*@givemeservice.com" on every account. If you want to receive email from someone you think might be getting blocked, simply send us the email address and we will add it to your "WHITE LIST" and every email from that user will get through.

The same is true for "BLACK LIST". If you know the domain name of the spam sender, email that to us and we will make sure that every email from that domain name will get blocked - forever. For example if sales@imannoying.com keeps sending you dozens of drug products for sale, simply email us the domain name (in this case *@imannoying.com) and we will add it to your black list.

You can have 25 domains on both your black and white list. Every additional block of 25 is $5 per month.
STRATEGY #3 - DONT REPLY TO SPAM - DELETE IT!
Many times you will see "To be removed from our list, please reply to this email". This is usually an attempt to VERIFY your email address and that it is active. Basically, by replying you have just let the spammer update his database and/or sell your email address to other spammers all over the world.

Spam is best if left alone. Simply delete it.
STRATEGY #4 - CHECK BACK HERE FOR CURRENT SPAM LEVEL
GMS will adjust the "average" filtration spam level as our software updates and changes. This level is viewable at the very top of this page. Know your current spam level and we will adjust accordingly.

You can email us at anytime to find out your specific level of filtration. Most likely, unless you heard otherwise, it is at "6". This level was set server-wide on Wednesday, February 22, 2006.
STRATEGY #5 - DONT EXPECT A MIRACLE CURE!

Eliminating spam forever just isn't going to happen. Billions of dollars are being spent to get over, around, and through every filter out there. All you can do is attempt to control it.

So, please don't get upset when that new miracle cure for hair loss comes through to your inbox. Just delete it, and let us know if you get more than 50 per day or more than 5 from the same source.

Thanks,

The GMS TEAM
Please call us if you have any questions. 732-451-9676